What one state learned after a decade of free community college
36 states have since followed Tennessee’s lead and offer some version of free tuition to residents. Advocates say the Tennessee Promise scholarship program, which now costs about $29 million a year, has helped more students go to college and earn two-year associate degrees. It remains unclear if increases in associate degrees in Tennessee can be attributed to the free tuition program. Researchers are still crunching the numbers to make causal conclusions, but the signs are positive.
